About Syenta
Syenta is pioneering a new era in semiconductor manufacturing with our groundbreaking Localised Electrochemical Manufacturing (LEM) technology. Our platform enables advanced packaging by combining patterning and metallisation into a single tool. We achieve high-speed, high-resolution metallisation at lower costs and energy use, while minimizing emissions and waste.
Founded in Australia, we are building a world-class team of engineers and scientists tackling some of the toughest challenges in semiconductor manufacturing. Our collaborative, people-first culture empowers individuals to take ownership, innovate, and deliver breakthrough results.
About the Role
We are seeking a Head of Process Development to lead our Australian development team, driving execution, technical excellence, and operational delivery across Syenta’s laboratories and product development. You will own the technical execution of Syenta’s technology development, a great responsibility.
This role blends people leadership, operational management, and technical execution. You will translate technical priorities and strategic direction into actionable work, manage interdisciplinary teams, and ensure milestones are delivered on schedule. You will also play a critical role in defining technical strategy, supporting product development, and shaping Syenta’s long-term engineering roadmap. As Head of Process Development, you will work closely with the CTO, technical leads, and cross-functional teams, and contribute to the scaling of our Australian facilities.
Responsibilities
Delivery and Execution
- Translate technical strategy and priorities into scoped work packages with owners, milestones, dependencies, and acceptance criteria
- Drive rapid development progress in teams, owning the implementation.
- Drive a “no surprises” cadence: surface progress, issues, and risks promptly
- Manage cross-team and vendor dependencies; run escalations and recovery plans as needed
- Maintain documentation of key decisions, technical standards, and process control
- Drive milestone delivery, tracking KPIs such as on-time completion, cycle time, and yield progression
Technical Leadership & Process Development
- Lead R&D projects, and own prioritization.
- Track residual technical risks, lessons learned, and drive improvements in execution.
- Support product and manufacturing strategy, including translating prototypes into repeatable processes
People Leadership & Team Health
- Lead and mentor engineers, technical leads, and lab staff, maintaining accountability and high-performance standards
- Run 1:1s, performance reviews, and development plans; monitor workload balance and team health
- Identify capability gaps and implement hiring or resourcing plans to strengthen the team
- Foster an open, collaborative, and high-trust team culture
Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as the execution owner for technical engagements with partners, customers, and investors
- Plan, coordinate, and support technical demonstrations and presentations
- Communicate project status, technical risks, and decisions clearly to leadership and stakeholders
Strategic Planning & Early Initiatives
- Assess and refine Syenta’s technical strategy, including roadmaps, work plans, IP strategy, and product development approach
- Accelerate technical and leadership decisions using experience and industry knowledge
- Support scaling and operational readiness of Australian facilities
Requirements
- Technical background in semiconductor technology development, preferably in advanced packaging.
- Technical leadership experience (5+ years) managing interdisciplinary engineering teams solving novel technical problems.
- Proven ability to translate technical strategy into deliverable work packages and milestones, whilst moving extremely rapidly.
- Strong presentation and communication skills, able to convey complex technical information to technical and non-technical audiences
- Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work cross-functionally
Preferred Qualifications
- Semiconductor Tool development
- Advanced packaging process development
- Experience supporting customer demonstrations and investor presentations
- Experience working in high-growth or high-stakes environments
Why Choose Syenta?
We’re passionate about building a diverse, people-first company. Our culture of collaboration and mutual respect fuels innovation capable of redefining an industry. At Syenta, you’ll have the opportunity to take ownership, lead high-impact teams, and shape the future of semiconductor manufacturing.
What We Offer
Salary Range: $180k – $200k
- Early-stage equity opportunities
- 12% superannuation contributions
- Flexible leave policies and a strong work-life balance
- Professional growth in a high-impact, fast-growing deep-tech startup
- Team events and collaborative culture, including company-wide gatherings in Australia
